UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 8, 2006




                        Pioneer Natural Resources Company
             ------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)



          Delaware                    1-13245               75-2702753
----------------------------        ------------        -------------------
(State or other jurisdiction        (Commission          (I.R.S. Employer
      of incorporation)             File Number)        Identification No.)



5205 N. O'Connor Blvd., Suite 900, Irving, Texas               75039
------------------------------------------------             ----------
   (Address of principal executive offices)                  (Zip Code)


                                 (972) 444-9001
              ---------------------------------------------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)



                                 Not applicable
          -------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)


Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions:

| | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR
    230.425)
| | Soliciting  material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the  Exchange Act (17 CFR
    240.14a-12)
| | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange
    Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
| | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange
    Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))









                        PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES COMPANY

                                TABLE OF CONTENTS


                                                                      Page

  Item 7.01.  Regulation FD Disclosure..............................   3

  Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.....................   3

              (d)   Exhibits........................................   3

  Signature.........................................................   4

  Exhibit Index.....................................................   5




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                        PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES COMPANY



Item 7.01.    Regulation FD Disclosure

     On March 8, 2006,  Pioneer Natural Resources Company (the "Company") issued
a news release that is attached hereto as exhibit 99.1. In the news release, the
Company  announced that its Board of Directors  approved its 2006 capital budget
of approximately  $1.3 billion,  an increase of approximately  $200 million from
comparable 2005 capital spending excluding acquisitions. In the new release, the
Company also  provided (i) an  operations  update and (ii) a first  quarter 2006
financial outlook based on current expectations,  including a supplemental hedge
information  schedule as of March 7, 2006,  which is attached  hereto as exhibit
99.2.

     The information in this document includes  forward-looking  statements that
are made  pursuant  to the Safe  Harbor  Provisions  of the  Private  Securities
Litigation  Reform  Act of 1995.  Forward-looking  statements  and the  business
prospects  of the Company  are  subject to a number of risks and  uncertainties,
which  may cause the  Company's  actual  results  in  future  periods  to differ
materially from the  forward-looking  statements.  These risks and uncertainties
include,  among other things,  volatility of oil and gas prices,  product supply
and demand,  competition,  the ability to obtain environmental and other permits
and the timing  thereof,  other  government  regulation  or action,  third party
approvals,  international  operations and associated international political and
economic  instability,  litigation,  the  costs  and  results  of  drilling  and
operations, availability of drilling equipment, the Company's ability to replace
reserves,  implement its business plans (including its plans to complete certain
asset divestments and to repurchase stock), or complete its development projects
as scheduled,  access to and cost of capital,  uncertainties  about estimates of
reserves, the assumptions underlying production forecasts,  quality of technical
data, environmental and weather risks, acts of war or terrorism. These and other
risks are  described in the  Company's  Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q that are  available  from the Company or the United  States
Securities and Exchange Commission.

Item 9.01.   Financial Statements and Exhibits

       (d)   Exhibits

             99.1   News Release dated March 8, 2006.
             99.2   Supplemental Hedge Information Schedule As Of March 7, 2006.



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                        PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES COMPANY

                                S I G N A T U R E

Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                              PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES COMPANY




Date:  March 8, 2006          By:    /s/ Darin G. Holderness
                                   -------------------------------------------
                                   Darin G. Holderness
                                   Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer




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                        PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES COMPANY

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit No.        Description
-----------        -----------

  99.1(a)          News Release dated March 8, 2006.
  99.2(a)          Supplemental Hedge Information Schedule As Of March 7, 2006.


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(a) Furnished herewith.




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